Tiller controls for small boats

ABSTRACT

Devices for temporarily locking the tiller of small boats in fixed relation relative to the principal axis of the hull to enable the helmsman to leave the tiller for short-time intervals to trim a sail or perform other duties, during which interval the boat is maintained substantially on a predetermined course. Each of the disclosed embodiments includes means engaging a relatively fixed part of the hull, and second means selectively clamping either the rudder post or the tiller in any of a plurality of selected relative positions.

United States Patent [191 Burnett TILLER CONTROLS FOR SMALL BOATS [76] Inventor: John Burnett, 95 Roseville Rd..

Westport, Conn. 06880 [22] Filed: Apr. 17, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 244,389

[52] US. Cl. 114/172 [51] Int. Cl B63h 25/00 [58] Field of Search 114/172, 145 R; 188/67; 70/187; 74/495 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 998.852 7/1911 Lagergren 114/172 3058368 10/1962 Wagner l l 74/495 3.462.982 8/1969 Moore 70/209 3.257.862 6/1966 Ambrose 74/495 Mar. 19, 1974 752.086 2/1904 Maclean 114/172 Primary ExaminerGeorge E. A. l-lalvosa Assistant Examiner-Sherman D. Basinger Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Charles E. Temko [5 7] ABSTRACT Devices for temporarily locking the tiller of small boats in fixed relation relative to the principal axis of the hull to enable the helmsman to leave the tiller for short-time intervals to trim a sail or perform other duties, during which interval the boat is maintained substantially on a predetermined course. Each of the disclosed embodiments includes means engaging a relatively fixed part of the hull, and second means selec tively clamping either the rudder post or the tiller in any of a plurality of selected relative positions.

2 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures TILLER CONTROLS FOR SMALL BOATS This invention relates generally to the field of marine equipment, and more particularly to clamping devices for locking the rudder post of a sail boat or other small craft having a tiller into a fixed position with reference to the center line of the hull. This action allows the helmsman to leave the tiller. for brief intervals while the craft is underway to perform other duties, such as trimming the sails and the like, or in time of emergency.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Prior art devices employ a relatively larger sailing craft and included the provision of ratchet wheels engaging a pivotally mounted cog or pawl secured to the deck. Other arrangements have included the use of ropes passing over a sheave together with means for temporarily locking therope in position against the sheave. Still other devices have included the position on a transversely extending bar interconnected to the gunwales of the hull, and carrying a movable member having a notch into which the tiller handle is dropped. Use of the former constructions involve a permanent mounting on the hull, including the drilling of the deck or-a bulkhead, and where this is not performed as an original installation, difficulty is encountered in mounting such devices on fiber-glass hulls which are widely employed in the present state of the art. The other devices have tended to be unduly complicated, and when installed occupy a substantial amount of space in the cockpit in the area of the tiller, thereby making movement for the occupants excessively difficult.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSED EMBODIMENTS In accordance with the first embodiment of the invention, the device, generally indicated by reference character 10, comprises broadly: a tubular rudder post engaging element 11, set screw means 12, and a pair of radially extending arm elements 13 and 14.

Theelement 11 is preferably formed from castings from bronze, stainless steel, or other suitable material, and includes a forward half member 16 having radially extending flanges 17 and 18, as well as a rear half member 19 having corresponding radially extending flanges 20 and 2]. Nut and bolt means 22 penetrate the flanges to interconnect the members 16 and 19 to facilitate the engagement of the completed sleeve 15 upon a rudder post 23.

The set screw means 12 extend through andengages a threaded bore 26 in the member 16, and includes an Briefly stated, the invention contemplates the proviof the upper deck surface surrounding the rudder post.

Set screw means permits movement of the rudder post within a hollow sleeve forming a part of the clamp, and when locking action is desired, the set screw is merely tightened when the tiller is in the selected position. In the case of those craft in which the rudder post is surrounded by. a fixed escutcheon nut, the abovementioned sleeve is modified to engage the outer surface of the nut which is fixed relative to the hull, and the outer surface of the sleeve carries a curvilinear track supporting a sliding member having means thereon for engaging the tiller handle. Setscrew means selectively locks the member with respectto the track to achieve the desired locking action.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings, to which reference will be made in the specification, similar reference characters have been employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof.

axially disposed portion 27 having a threaded end 28 adapted to bear upon an exposed surface of the post 23. A laterally extending portion 28 provides convenient manual everage facilitating the tightening and loosening of the same.

The radially extending arm elements 13 and 14 are similar, each including a fixed elongated inner member 32, the inner end 33 of which iswelded to the outer surface 34 of the member 19. A collet or draw-in chuck 36 selectively engages an outer member 37 on a first portion 38 thereof, the first portion communicating with a bent portion 39 and an angularly disposed outer terminal 40, preferably equipped with a rubber tip 41.

In FIGS. 3 and 4 in the drawing, there is illustrated two manners of installation of the first embodiment. In FIG. 3, a hull 42 includes a bulkhead or transom 43immediately behind the rudder post 23, this conveniently permitting the device to be installed in such manner that the outermembers 37 are in co-planar relation. In some cases, as for example that shown in FIG. 4, the transom or bulkhead is not conveniently available, and it is necessary to engage the rubber tips 41 with a surface 45 of a horizontally disposed deck. In such installation, the collet chuck 36 of the elements l3l4.is loosened, to permit the outer terminals 40 to be rotated to a downward orientation, whereby the rubber. tips 40 may contact the surface of the deck. This arrangement is particularly desirable where the tips are permitted. to engage the area adjacent the merging of the deck and a bulkhead, the outer terminals beingtelescoped out.- wardly from the hollow inner members 32 to provide an accurate adjustment.

During normal operation, the set screw meansl2 will be in disengaged condition, permitting the. tiller 24 to be freely moved, the locking of the tiller requiring only 3 the moving of the same to desired position, and the tightening of the set screw means.

Turning now to the second embodiment of the invention, the device, generally indicated by reference character 50, is shown in PK]. 5 in installed condition on a craft having a somewhat different arrangement of rudder construction, as compared with that shown in the first embodiment. In this construction, widely used in fibcrglas hulls, the rudder post 51 extends through a projection 52 which forms part of the deck, and is surrounded by an escutcheon nut 53 which forms a bearing, and which is, once installed, fixed with respect to the hull. A lower surface 54 of the escutcheon nut abuts the projection 52, and may bear upon a washertype bearing (not shown), while an upper surface 55 is positioned immediately below a surface 56 of a fitting 57 mounting the tiller handle 58. Thus, in constructions of this type, direct access to the rudder post is not available, and the second embodiment is particularly adapted for installation with this type of tiller construction.

The device 50 includes a tubular element 59, which, as is the case in the first embodiment, may be conveniently formed to include a forward member 60 and a rear member 61. Radially extending flanges 62 are abuttable with corresponding flanges 63 whereby bolts 64 and wing nut 65 may be used to interconnect the members 60 and 61 to form a sleeve surrounding the escutcheon nut 53. Set screw means 66 bears upon the outer surface of the escutcheon nut, and thus fixes the position of the sleeve with respect to the nut. This locking action, does not, however, bear upon the rudder post, and thus means must be provided to directly engage the tiller handle.

This is accomplished by providing upper and lower arcuate track members 68 and 69, respectively, which define interstices 70-71 which engage a sliding plate member 72 for movement therein. Set screw means 73 bears against the outer surface of the rear member 61 to lock the plate member 72 in selected position.

Mounted on an outer surface of the member 72 are a pair of trunnion forming members 76-77 supporting a shaft 78 therebetween. The shaft carries a bracket 79 from which a tubular support member 80 extends upwardly. The member carries a sliding member 81 having first and second arms 82 and 83, respectively, forming an interstices 84 into which the tiller 58 is placed. The arms 82-83 are flexible, and possessed of a substantial degree of resiliency. Theyare interconnected about the tiller handle by ratchet and pawl interconnecting means 86 having a projecting lip which permits immediate disconnection should an emergency occur.

Normal usage contemplates disconnection of the tiller handle from the device, the arms 82-83 being maintained clear of the tiller by pivoting of the support member 80 about a shaft 78. When it is desired to fix the tiller, the arms 82-83 are engaged therewith, and the tiller moved to desired position, following which the set screw means 73 is tightened.

I wish it to be understood that I do not consider the invention limited to the precise details of structure shown and set forth in this specification, for obvious modifications will occur to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains.

I claim:

1. A device for temporarily fixing the relative angular position of the tiller and rudder post of a small boat relative to the principal axis of the hull thereof comprising: a cylindrical sleeve surrounding a segment of said rudder post, first means on said sleeve engaging a part of said hull for preventing relative motion between said hull and said sleeve, and second means on said sleeve for selectively fixing relative motion between said rudder post and said sleeve, at least one of said first and second means including a set screw radially extending from the axis of said rudder post; said first means including a plurality of members radially extending from an outer surface of said sleeve, each having a free end adapted to contact a surface of said hull, on either side of the principal axis thereof.

2. Structure in accordance with claim 1, in which each of said radially extending members are axially extendable, and have a radially positionable bent portion enabling the free end of a radially extending member to selectively contact an abutting surface of the bulkhead and a surface of a deck of said hull. 

1. A device for temporarily fixing the relative angular position of the tiller and rudder post of a small boat relative to the principal axis of the hull thereof comprising: a cylindrical sleeve surrounding a segment of said rudder post, first means on said sleeve engaging a part of said hull for preventing relative motion between said hull and said sleeve, and second means on said sleeve for selectively fixing relative motion between said rudder post and said sleeve, at least one of said first and second means including a set screw radially extending from the axis of said rudder post; said first means including a plurality of members radially extending from an outer surface of said sleeve, each having a free end adapted to contact a surface of said hull, on either side of the principal axis thereof.
 2. Structure in accordance with claim 1, in which each of said radially extending members are axially extendable, and have a radially positionable bent portion enabling the free end of a radially extending member to selectively contact an abutting surface of the bulkhead and a surface of a deck of said hull. 